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A new chapter for professional training: the Belgrade Eco-Centre
Breaking ground on a training eco-centre spanning more than 16,500 m² marks the beginning of a new era for IFAPME and Le Forem. These two institutions, whose facilities in Namur no longer fulfilled their current needs, have come together to launch this ambitious project on the site of the former Belgrade military base, which has now been transformed into the CIT-YS® industrial park thanks to the BEP.
An essential relocation
IFAPME and Le Forem were dealing with run-down and cramped facilities, located in the city centre where access was sometimes a challenge. The relocation to the CIT-YS® industrial park in Belgrade will create a partnership hub for continuing education, responding to growing needs within the region. This peri-urban park, which was acquired by the BEP from the Défense Nationale, has been revitalised through the development of economic activities there.
An investment of over €32 million
The project, which cost €32 million in total, is financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which was launched throughout Europe in 2020 to combat the effects of the Covid-19 health crisis. The goal is to accelerate the transition towards sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth. The Walloon Recovery Plan will supplement this funding, allowing the region to equip itself with modern and energy-efficient training facilities in the Province of Namur.
Training and innovation are at the project’s core
Employment is crucial in the current climate. Simon Bullman, the President of the Management Committee of IFAPME, explained that this new centre would accommodate 800 learners every day, and offer 40 different training programmes, including traditional training programmes such as construction, catering, baking and more, allowing learners to achieve high standards of excellence.
A response to labour shortages
Raymonde Yerna, the General Manager of Le Forem, highlighted the three key pillars of the institution: the socio-economic component, the environment and good governance. In Belgium, 162 critical roles and 112 professions are facing staff shortages, in particular in the construction sector and industry. A labour shortage is also on the horizon, with 42 professions facing an inverted age pyramid, where a third of workers are over the age of 50. Le Forem will offer all of its services, in particular activities in the tertiary sector, and train 1,000 job-seekers between the ages of 15 and 67 every year.
Synergies and optimising resources
Christophe Delogne then recounted the history of the IFAPME training centre in Namur, which he directs. He noted he is happy that they can offer evening classes again. This project aims to overcome labour shortages by training people of all ages, and by diversifying its training offerings more than ever before, including professions that are rapidly developing, such as IT and home automation, among others. More lasting relationships will be forged with public and private companies within the region.
IFAPME and Le Forem will pool their resources within this new complex: sharing state-of-the-art equipment, common spaces and alternating workshops, exchanging educational methods, etc. These synergies will make it possible to optimise material, human and financial resources. Approximately 117 people will join the site to offer all of these services.
An environmentally friendly building
The architectural project, which was designed by the R2D2 design office, was presented by Vincent Szpirer. It incorporates environmentally friendly materials, including recycled bricks and zinc. The 150-metre-long central building is made from wood, and complies with fire-safety standards. It has thoughtfully designed staircases and a concrete structure for the entrance building. The closed geothermal system, and the absence of rainwater discharge into the sewage system, reinforces its sustainability, as well as the alternative approach to mobility.
Future prospects
The Minister for the Economy and IFAPME, among others, hailed the ambition of the partners, highlighting the importance of responding effectively to the needs of various sectors with respect to labour. By working together, IFAPME and Le Forem are positioning themselves to offer high-quality training programmes, encouraging excellence, innovation and success within a framework that is decidedly forward-thinking.
In this way, the new Belgrade Eco-Centre embodies a bold, but necessary, response to the contemporary challenges of professional training and employment in Belgium.
More generally, CIT-YS® also symbolises the future, as a former military site in Belgium has been converted into an industrial park on the outskirts of the city of Namur. In addition to the Eco-Centre, it will also be home to:
- an SME village spanning 5.1 hectares (after the demolition of six hangars measuring approximately 2,000 m² and old office buildings belonging to La Défense)
- 4.5 hectares dedicated to maintaining biodiversity and ecological corridors.
As a result, the other new development for the CIT-YS® urban industrial park concerns the planning permission that the BEP has just obtained for renovation and fitting work on the park. The call for tenders to decide the company that will carry out this work is about to close, and construction should begin in September.